The National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy’s Joint Implementation Working Group received 47 nominations for the 2016 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources. Although not selected as recipients of the 2016 award, these organizations and individuals listed below have demonstrated leadership in reducing climate-related threats and promoting adaptation of the nation’s natural resources.

Nominee

Climate Adaptation Actions

Federal Agency Nominations

Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (RECIPIENT)

Incorporated climate vulnerability into over 185 forest management projects across the Midwest, Central Appalachians and the Northeast (2 nominations).

Provides data and tools to help understand climate impacts on fish, wildlife, ecosystems and people.

Adaptation Partners

Uses a framework to create science-management partnerships, conduct vulnerability assessments, and develop adaptation plans on federal lands in the West.

Francis Marion National Forest

Completed the first land and resource management plan that integrates climate as an ecosystem driver, covering 260,000 acres of National Forest System lands.

National Marine Fisheries Service Fish Stock Climate Vulnerability Assessment Team

Assesses the climate vulnerability fisheries-related marine species in the U.S.

Northern Rockies Adaptation Partnership

Facilitates ongoing dialogue and activities related to climate change in the Northern Rockies region including producing one of the largest assessments in geographic scope encompassing 15 national forests, 20 wilderness areas and three national parks in the West.

Shawnee National Forest and Partners

Works to protect, enhance, and restore wetland and floodplain habitat in the Middle Mississippi River basin.

USDA Forest Service/Rocky Mountain Research Station and Umatilla National Forest/Biochar and Bioenergy Group

Collects and applies phenological data to help measure and plan for ecological change including coordinating Nature's Notebook, an observation network of over 18,000 participants, and working with tribes to establish phenology monitoring to inform tribal resource management.

Individual - Federal Agency Nominations

Dan Isaak, U.S. Forest Service (RECIPIENT)

Prioritizes climate-informed conservation of aquatic species and habitats in the Western U.S. by mapping cold-water refuges that can support species at risk.

David L. Peterson, U.S. Forest Service (HONORABLE MENTION)

Mentors scientists, bridges the science and natural resource management communities, and helps managers develop climate change adaptation strategies across millions of acres of forest in the western U.S.

Dr. Rebecca Lenel Beavers, National Park Service

Advances effective National Park coastal adaptive management through new decision support tools.

Richard Bennett, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Coordinates over 100 projects that maximize the resilience of fish and wildlife habitats from storm events and sea level rise.

Develops programs that support the NFWPCAS and address local-scale issues including scenario-planning with terrestrial and marine stakeholders, and reducing non-climate stressors on marine/coastal systems.

Amber Pairis

Focuses on creatively addressing climate adaptation with nature-based solutions by working with artists on climate projects; building a community of practice to support museums as a voice for change; and leading youth engagement through science activities, storytelling, and art.

Caleen Sisk

Leads the Winnemem Wintu Tribe’s efforts to return salmon to their rivers to ensure the health of the people, the watershed, and those downstream.

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians (HONORABLE MENTION)

Works to understand how climate change is affecting wild rice and its aquatic ecosystem on tribal lands.

Non-governmental Organization Nominations

National Wildlife Federation (RECIPIENT)

Provides national leadership in advancing and promoting climate-smart conservation across the conservation community, particularly in the development of widely-used adaptation guidance for conservation practitioners.

NatureServe (HONORABLE MENTION)

Provides tools and services that help to safeguard the nation's fish, wildlife, and plants from climate change, including developing the Climate Change Vulnerability Index, the Habitat Climate Change Vulnerability Index and delivering climate-smart conservation courses.

Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP)

Supports tools and approaches to help managers make informed decisions under changing climate conditions. Examples include an online Alaska Climate and Weather highlights tool and the Historical Sea Ice Atlas for Alaska Waters.

Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust

Protects and sustains a connected network of ecologically important lands in the Cacapon River Valley, while maintaining hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing as strong local and rural traditions.

Coastal Resilience Network

Increases information on climate impacts and provides tools to identify nature-based adaptation solutions, such as a mapping decision support tool and a system for local and regional planning and domestic and international projects.

The Conservation Fund and Audubon Maryland-DC

Implements actions to help the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge adapt to climate change and build climate change resiliency to the landscape.

EcoAdapt

Builds the adaptation field in support of the NFWPCAS through tools such as the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange, the National Adaptation Forum, and its Awareness to Action program.

Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI)

Develops solutions to help coastal communities in New England confront climate challenges.

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals

Supports tribes that are preparing for and contending with climate impacts by offering training, technical assistance, education resources and tools to build tribal capacity.

National Audubon Society, Science Division

Developed Avian Climate Response models to identify which North American bird species are at risk to climate threats and how their distribution is expected to change.

Point Blue Conservation Science

Advances climate adaptation of the wildlife and ecosystems of California through a landscape-scale approach (2 nominations).